Just as we’re getting to the end of the festive holidays I am finally beginning to feel, rested and re-mojo’d. And, exhale. Luckily I still have a couple of days off  work.

I hope you managed to chill-out and/or party hard. Did you get anything nice? I may just have to photograph some of my xmas stash as I was lucky enough to get some super gifts.

So, today it felt appropriate as it’s the very last day of the year to visit a place near by that has a feeling of the end of the world – in a physical sense that is, being that it’s a ‘spit’ and shadowed by a huge power station (plus there’s a Tudor fortress and WWII aircraft hangars – it’s all very atmospheric).

The sea air was definitely called for to blow away the cobwebs (and fingers-crossed, a bit of Quality-Street-induced blubber) – plus there are LOTS of beach huts there, and let’s face it – I am a tiny bit addicted to a beach hut or two.

All photos taken with my Canon 5D MkII and 50mm f/1.4 USM lens

Have you had a lovely weekend? I have – it’s been one of those ones where you don’t do much apart from read papers, drink coffee, wander your local streets and chat.

Obviously (for editorial puposes) I am choosing to omit all the drudgy bits – the scrubbing of the funny smelling salad drawers from the fidge, picking out all the hair from plug-hole of shower, etc etc. No one needs to hear about any of that.

All photos taken with Canon 5DMkII and 50mm f/1.4 lens (my version of travelling light).

I’m feeling pretty lucky this afternoon. There was rain earlier; the big black clouds and pouring down like buckets being thrown sort of rain… and I managed to dodge it!

After lunch at Pret I stuck my nose outside to discover nothing but blue skies, puffy white clouds and sunshine.

And it’s Friday. And it’s a Bank Holiday weekend.

Score!

Back as a kid in the 80s I remember going on school trips to the Tudor House museum in Southampton (much of the city was flattened by enemy bombs during WWII so this was one of the few ‘old’ places left to visit).

It’s been closed for ages but after more than 20 years of restoration and repair it is open again, so we went for a visit today; me, admin and my Mum (who is mad about the Tudors) and got to see it from the inside out, for a change…

There’s all sorts to see inside, they’ve done a great job…

It’s not all Tudor though, a lot is Georgian…

And some is Victorian…

And some is very much 21st century, like this grass roof…

The outdoor space was just as interesting as the interior…

So, all in all a great day out! Hope you’re all having a lovely weekend, too.

Here’s another photo from Friday when I went to Weston Shore. If you’re wondering why you’ve never heard of this south coast beach ‘resort’ before, it’s probably because it’s sandwiched between an oil-refinery and a relatively intimidating, brutalist sink estate – I think the tourist guides knock off stars for that.

I bet this pony is as hard as nails and probably carries a flick-knife, does his mane in a quiff on Saturday nights and smokes Rothmans. I didn’t get too close.